GENERAL ORDERS,
No. 62.
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WAR DEPARTMENT,
WASHINGTON, June 28, 1918
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I_ _1. Under authority conferred by sections 1, 2, 8, and 6
of the act of Congress "Authorizing the President to increase
temporarily the military establishment of the United States,"
approved May 18, 1917, and the act "Authorizing the President
to coordinate or consolidate executive bureaus, agencies, and
offices, and for other purposes, in the interest of economy
and the more efficient concentration of the Government,"
approved May 28, 1918, in pursuance of which act the President
has issued an executive order dated June 25, 1918, placing the
Experiment Station at American University under control of the
War Department, the President directs that the Gas Service of
the Army be organized into a Chemical Warfare Service, National
Army, to include:
a. The Chemical Service Section, National Army.
b. All officers and enlisted men of the Ordnance Department
and Sanitary Corps of the Medical Department as hereinafter
more specifically specifies (regular officers affected being
detailed and not transferred).
2. The officers for this service will be obtained as provided
by the third paragraph of section 1 and by section 9 of the
act of May 18, 1917, the enlisted strength being raised and
maintained by voluntary enlistment or draft.
3. The rank, pay, and allowances of the enlisted men of the
Chemical Warfare Service, National Army, shall be the same as
now authorized for the corresponding grades in the Corps
of Engineers.
4. The head of the Chemical Warfare Service, National Army,
shall be known as the Director of the Chemical Warfare Service,
and, under the direction of the Secretary of War, as such, he
shall be, and hereby I.%, charged with the duty of operating
and maintaining or supervising the operation and maintenance
Of all plants engaged in the Investigation, manufacture, or
production of toxic gases, gas-defense appliances, the filling
of gas shells, and proving grounds utilized in connection therewith
and the necessary research connected with gas warfare, and he
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shall exercise full, complete, and exclusive jurisdiction and
control over the manufacture and production of toxic gases,
gas-defense appliances, including gas-shell filling plants and
providing grounds utilized in connection therewith, and all
investigation and research work in connection with gas
warfare, and to that end shall forthwith assume control and
jurisdiction over all pending Government projects having to
do or connected with such manufacture, production, and operation
of plants and proving grounds for the Army and heretofore conducted
by the Medical Department and Ordnance Department under the
jurisdiction of the Surgeon General and the Chief of Ordnance,
respectively, and all material on hand for such investigation
or research, manufacture or production, operation of plants
and proving grounds, and all buildings, factories, warehouses,
machinery, tools and appliances, and all other property, real,
personal, or mixed, heretofore used in, or in connection with,
the operation and maintenance of such plants and proving grounds
for the purpose of investigation or research, manufacture or
production, already procured and now held for such use by, or
under the jurisdiction and control of the Medical Department
or the Ordnance Department, all books, records, files, and office,
equipment used by the Medical Department or the Ordnance Department
in connection with such investigation or research, manufacture
or production, or operation of plants and proving grounds, all
rights under contract made by the Medical Department
or Ordnance Department in, or in connection with, the operation
of such plants and institutions as specified herein, all rights
under contract made by the Medical Department or Ordnance Department
in, or in connection with such work, and the entire personnel
(commissioned, enlisted,. and civilian) of the Ordnance Department
and Sanitary Corps of the Medical Department as at present assigned
to or engaged upon work in, or in connection with, such investigation
or research, manufacture or production, or operation of plants
and proving grounds, are hereby transferred from the jurisdiction
of the Ordnance Department and the Medical Department and placed
under the jurisdiction of the Director of the Chemical Warfare
Service, it being the intention hereof to transfer from the
jurisdiction of the Medical Department and the Ordnance Department
to the jurisdiction of the Director
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of the, Chemical Warfare Service, every function, power, and
duty connected with the investigation, manufacture, or production
of toxic gases, gas-defense appliances, including the necessary
research connected with gas warfare, gas-shell filling plants,
and proving grounds utilized in connection therewith, all property
of every sort or nature used or procured for use in, or in connection
with, said operation of such plants and proving grounds and
the entire personnel of the Ordnance Department and Sanitary
Corps of the Medical Department as at present assigned to, or
engaged upon work in, or in connection with, the operation and
maintenance of such plants engaged in the investigation, manufacture,
or production of toxic gases, gas-defense appliances, including
gas-filling plants and proving grounds utilized in connection
therewith.
5. All unexpended funds of appropriations heretofore made for
the Medical Department or Ordnance Department and already allotted
for use in connection with the operation and maintenance of
plants now engaged in, or under construction for the purpose
of engaging in, the investigation, manufacture, or production
of toxic gases or gas defense appliances, including gas shell
filling plants, are hereby transferred to, and placed under
the jurisdiction of, the Director of the Chemical Warfare Service
for the purpose of meeting the obligations and expenditures
authorized herein ; and, in so far as such funds have not been
already specifically allotted by the Medical Department and
the Ordnance Department for the purposes specified herein, they
shall now be allotted by the Secretary of War, in such proportions
as shall to him seem best intended to meet the requirements
of the situation and the Intentions of Congress when making
said appropriations, and the funds so allotted by the Secretary
of War to meet the activities of the Chemical Warfare Service,
as heretofore defined herein, are hereby transferred to, and
placed under the jurisdiction of, the Director of the Chemical
Warfare Service for the purpose of meeting the
authorized obligations and expenditures of the Chemical Warfare
Service.
6. This order shall be and remain in full force and effect
during the continuation of the present war, and for six
months after the termination thereof by proclamation of the
treaty of peace, or until theretofore amended, modified, or
rescinded.
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II_ _By direction of the President, Maj. Gen. William
L. Sibert, United States Army, is relieved from duty
as Director of the Gas Service, and is detailed as Director
of the Chemical Warfare Service, National Army.
[322.06, A.G.O.]
BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:
PEYTON C. MARCH.
General, Chief of Staff.
OFFICIAL:
H. P. McCAIN,
The
Adjutant General.
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Last updated 3 October 2003
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